348 THE SELF-FERTILIZATION OF PLANTS. 



pushed any further, out of proportion, or if the less- 

 valued or neglected parts are any further reduced, 

 the " some degree of sterility '' will be succeeded by 

 self-impotence. 



According to Darwin's own showing, there are many 

 plants which are capable of self-fertilization, without 

 any apparent evil resulting to them from the process. 



It is manifest, to the reader, that these owe their 

 fertility, to the absence of all reduction, in them,, of any 

 of the characters of their respective species ; or to such 

 reduction, as they may have, being too little, in degree, 

 to have much effect upon their reproductive powers. 



Then, there are many plants which display lessened 

 fertility, from self-fertilization. 



These are disproportionately developed, to an extent 

 sufficient to effect their fertility, but not sufficient to 

 render them self-impotent. 



Again; there are many plants which are wholly 

 self-impotent. 



These have many of their characters reduced to a 

 rudimentary condition, or so completely suppressed as 

 not to leave a vestige of their past development. From 

 these two latter classes, namely, of plants self-impotent, 

 and plants with their fertility lessened, Darwin has 

 empirically generalized the conclusion, that self-fertil- 

 ization is radically injurious. Those, however, among 

 the more intelligent of botanists who are sufficiently 

 well disciplined in scientific habits of thought, to see 

 that his "great law of nature" is manifestly an incom- 

 plete induction, have openly questioned the validity of 

 Darwin's conclusions; and to warrant their skepticism, 



